Mali: Peace agreement about to fail

Following a new outbreak of violence in northern Mali, the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) warns that the new peace agreement – which is monitored by the Bundeswehr – is about to fail. The human rights organization sent an urgent appeal to Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen, asking them to advocate for a peace conference for northern Mali, in the scope of which all signatories should emphasize their commitment to lasting peace and discuss their differences of opinion.

“Given the current Islamist extremism, how are German soldiers in northern Mali supposed to enforce a peace agreement that not even the signatories take seriously,” asked Ulrich Delius, the STP’s Africa consultant, in Göttingen on Monday. Over the weekend, at least twelve people lost their lives in armed clashes in northern Mali. Nine of these deaths were due to fighting between supporters of the signatories of the peace agreement.

“It is very alarming that there are even armed clashes between militias with the same political background – such as the Gatia militia and the Ganda Izo militia,” said Delius. The Ganda Izo movement, which was founded in 2012, mainly consists of members of the ethnic group of the Peulh, who – just like the government forces – want to prevent an independent Tuareg state in northern Mali. Further, as criticized by MINUSMA peacekeepers as well as the French government, the Tuareg movement High Council for the Unity of the Azawad (HCUA) is secretly cooperating with the Islamist Ansar Dine militia, despite the peace treaty.

For weeks, there have been significant differences between the signatories of the peace agreement for Northern Mali, which was signed on March 1, 2015. “There will be no lasting peace without trust. If the Bundeswehr mission is to be successful, Germany must urgently bring all involved parties to the negotiating table,” warned Delius. The agreement is supposed to resolve the conflict between the Tuareg and the Malian government, which has been going on for decades. The idea is to strengthen the North of the country to facilitate measures against Islamist extremists.

Last weekend, nine people lost their lives in clashes between the pro-government Gatia militia and the armed Ganda Izo militia – and three people were killed when suspected Islamists attacked positions of the Tuareg militia CMA near the border with neighboring Niger. On Monday night, Islamist extremists also attacked positions of the Malian army in Timbuktu.